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CHANUL (Humiria balsamifera)

Trade Name

Chanul

Scientific Name

Humiria balsamifera Aubl.

Family

HUMIRIACEAE

Common Names

Umiry de cheiro (Brazil); Umiry de casca cheiro (Brazil); Umiry (Brazil); Umiri balsamo (Brazil); Turi; Turanira; Turamira; Triane; Toweroenierou; Towaronero; Tourameira; Tawanangro; Tauroniro; Tabaniro; Swietimerie; Racine; Quera; Omiry; Olorosa; Nino; Nina; Nieri; Meri; Kierie-ma; Houmiri boumier; Houmiri; Homiry; Gommier de montagne; Gomier de montagne; Couranoura; Couranira; Couramira; Caramura; Boume houmiri; Bois rouge; Bois d`encens; Bois a flambeau; Blackaberie; Bhoso; Bastard bully; Bastard bulletwood; Bastard bolletrie; Basra bolletrie; Bakabe-ie; Aneichi ou dou; Humiry (Brazil); Touroniro (Guyana); Niño (Venezuela); Quinilla (Peru); Querá (Colombia); Chilco (Colombia); Oloroso (Colombia); Chanul (Colombia); Umiri (Brazil)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Myrodendrum amplexicaule Willd.; Humirium balsamiferum Benth.; Humiria balsamifera St. Hilare

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The trees are reported to be large, reaching heights of up to 35 m, with trunk diameters of up to 130 cm. The boles are cylindrical, with commercial lengths of about 15 m.

Natural Habitat

Humiria balsamifera is reported to prefer light sandy soils, it is a dominant in the marshy forests of Guyana. It grows in the savanna forests in Surinam.

Natural Distribution

The geographical range of the species is reported to include the Guyanas, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Brazilian Amazon.

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Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 to 150 micras (small). Vessels per mm2 10 to 20 (abundant). Scalariform perforation plates with 5 to 15 bars. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in Occasionally axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare, non visible with magnifying glass (8x). Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Occasionally axial parenchyma aliform. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays 1 to 2 seriate. Occasionally prismatic crystals in the ray cells. Heterogeneous rays and/or multiseriate heterogeneous rays. Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (K Fibers with distinctly bordered pits.

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Odor

Odor and taste are reported to be indistinct.

Color

The sapwood is not clearly distinct. The heartwood varies from light brown to reddish brown in color.

Grain

The grain is straight to interlocked.

Texture

The wood is of medium texture.

Luster

Luster is reported to be medium.

Natural Durability

It is very resistant to white-rot fungi and dry-wood termites, and moderately resistant to brown-rot fungi. The resistance against marine borers attack is low.

Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)

2

Wood Physical Properties

Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)

0.83

Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)

0.95

Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)

7.8

Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)

4.9

Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)

1.6

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)

1580

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

199286

Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

842

Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

174

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

147

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

969

Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)

1366

Workability

Sawing

The behavior of this species in sawing is considered to be fair. Power is required in sawing.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Slicing of this species is possible.

Sliced Veneer

Slicing of this species is possible.

Blunting Effect

It has a moderate blunting effect on the cutting tools.

Machining

Power tools are required due to interlocked grain. This wood is moderately difficult to work in most machining operations.

Planing

Material with interlocked grain may chip considerably in planing.

Turning

30

Nailing

This species is reported to have a good nailing behavior.

Gluing

The timber is reported to glue well.

Sanding

Sanding operations are rated as fairly difficult.

Finishing

Finishing of this wood is good.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

EXTERIOR GENERAL, bridges, crossties, piers, HOUSING GENERAL, flooring, steps, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, TURNING, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION

Exterior General
  • 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Bridges
  • 2 - 25 madeiras da amazonia de valor comercial, caracterizacao, macroscopica, usos comuns e indices qualificativos
Crossties
  • 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
Piers
  • 9 - Maderas latinoamericanas. IV, Nectandra sp. Ocotea austinii, Persea sp. aff. vesticula, Persea schiedeana
General Housing
  • 10 - Silica in Timbers
Flooring
  • 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Steps
  • 17 - Tree Conservation Database
Furniture Cabinets
  • 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Panels, Veneers
  • 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Turning
  • 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America

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